UnParted
by DoYouEvenFanfic
Summary: This is a Miracolev story, taking place after Unsouled. What happens when they try to reunite? Read, and review please. I do not own Unwind, Unwholly, or Unsouled. Neal Shusterman does. Kudos to him.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Whoa. I'd never thought I would write an Unwind fanfiction, but hey, here it is. You whollies want some unwind jokes? Read my profile. Okay, but on the subject of the story, it's MiracoLev with ORIGINAL BOOK CHARACTERS (that's a first for my fanfictions) simply because I could only find one MiracoLev fanfiction on the entire internet. I'll stop blabbering and let you read. Oh, and don't forget to review! You might get chapters faster that way...

Chapter 1

Miracolina

Miracolina was always a believer in miracles. She had always known her purpose in life, encouraged it, in fact, but her cause had been corrupted and torn apart. Looking back, she knows it her savior wasn't an accident. He was a miracle. And his name was Lev Garrity.

Because of him, Miracolina could be here now, watching T.V. with her family. An occasion of bonding they had been careful to avoid before the tithing that never happened. They sit on their couch, surrounding the screen. Miracolina huddles in a blanket, trying to take interest in the news show currently displayed.

"-have not received any further information regarding the condition of the puppy. Ralphy Sherman, Channel Eight News. Back to you, Gwen."

Gwen holds her earpiece for a moment, the lag in video catching up with her. Finally she says, "Thank you, Ralphy. That will conclude our five-thirty show. Coming at seven; the impossible story of the clapper that didn't clap-" Miracolina almost leaps off of the couch at the mention of Lev. _Lev!_ Immediately dozens of thoughts jolt through her head; _Why would they be doing a story on Lev? Everyone already heard about his capper story, so... Is he okay? I would know if something happened to him, right? _Matteo throws her a weird look, enough to make her pay attention for hope of finding answers. "-but this time, we'll be finding out what happened _after_. How he's been, what he's doing... You'll hear it here first, in a _live_ interview with Levi himself! Tune in at seven!"

The news ends, cutting into commercials. Although Miracolina has no interest whatsoever in programmable brain tissue, her eyes stay glued to the screen. All this time, she had no idea where Lev was- heck, he could have been dead for all she knew. But simply knowing that he was alive and well sent her spirits soaring.

"Miracolina?" Matteo interrupts her from her thoughts. "You look like you just saw Santa fall from the sky."

She blushes, looking down. She hadn't told her family about her adventure with Lev; she somehow knew they would immediately disapprove, not wanting their daughter's life in the hands of someone who'd once been a clapper. As she'd never been good at lying, her parents suspect there's a missing piece of her story. They're right, of course, and Miracolina knows that she'll have to spill the whole fable someday. But before she does, she might as well dig up their opinions.

"So, that Lev," she says, immediately regretting it. The way it comes out is immensely awkward and out of place.

"Hmm, an escaped tithe who first opposed the thought of being undivided," her dad jokes. "You two would make a good pair."

Although Miracolina would never let on, she's been having the same thought for a while now. She knows it's a fantasy that will never come true; Lev is simply too busy for foolish relationships. He has much too much to worry about, he probably doesn't even think about her in the time they've been apart.

As much as Miracolina convinces herself to believe this, it isn't true. Because even though Lev does have a lot to think about, his mind always runs back to her. Even when he thinks she's forgotten him.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Subtle reference to UnStrung, for those who haven't read it (not a necessity, though). Aaaaaand I apologize for the first four paragraphs, they're a bit rushed. I just had to find a way to tie it all up. :/

And yes, I did put a clapper pun in here. I'm so sorry; punish me by taking away all my inspirational movies. Please.

Chapter 2

Lev

Lev had been staying at the Arápache Reservation for a grand total of two weeks before they found him. Of course, they'd been looking to capture Connor and Risa, but discovering America's favorite non-clapper was a find of equal importance.

It was yesterday that Lev had discovered the true insanity of the press; reporters were practically scaling the wall to get to him. It was unwelcomed by the Arápache, and many yelled at the reporters, trying to keep them away. Nothing worked.

And so Lev did what he had wished he'd done all those months ago- the only thing that would make things right. He sacrificed himself. Though not a sacrifice as noble as Wil's, it was an opportunity to show the Arápache his respect. Lev let the reporters take him away, not caring about what was in store. If they questioned him- if they tortured him for answers- at least he'd know that he was doing something right for the people that had housed and cared for him.

They hadn't tortured him. All that they requested was one live, broadcasted interview. They had, of course, learned their lesson since the capture of Risa. The questions weren't to focus on unwinding itself, or anything related. They were going to be simple ones about his life. Lev knows how much the world wants to know about himself. More than once he's been the center of attention.

Lev sits in a pale blue chair, in front of a small coffee table the same color. A single tulip sits inside a clear vase. He looks at the flower with mild interest, noting a small empty space where whatever had been used to paint the artificial flower had chipped. From where the cameras are, the audience would never know such a thing.

A news anchor sits in a chair across from him, giving Lev a warm smile. He smiles in return, but nothing can dissipate the anxiety he's feeling. He can barely concentrate as she introduces him. He can subconsciously sense the cameras' locations.

"So, Lev, how are you doing this afternoon?" The question's informality takes Lev by surprise.

"Uh, I'm alright."

And so the questions begin. Simple, short-answer ones. Low risk of him putting down unwinding for all to see. Questions about baseball, questions about school. Questions about the past. Questions Lev can answer honestly, without anyone judging, hating, or worshipping his answers. And for once he remembers what it's like to be a normal kid. Until-

"Do you have any opinions about your family?"

For just a moment, Lev wants to explode. Unleash his anger onto his family and their beliefs. But then the tulip catches his eye. The audience doesn't care what's real. They care about what pleases them.

"I haven't seenn my family in a while," he says, shifting in his seat. "I really have no right to judge them. Or think about them at all, for that matter." In the interview, Lev hadn't looked at the camera. Now he does, determined to make a point. Because this part _is_ real. "But what I really think about are the people that I've met in my journey. The ones who support me, the ones who actually care..." He smiles. "And the ones who forgive me."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: You guys. YOU GUYS. This very fanfiction (that you're reading currently) is on THE FIRST PAGE of results when you google "Miracolev." THIS IS INSANE! I'm freaking out! Oh my God!

Btw thanks to all of my readers and reviewers :). I love you.

Please review. Or PM me. Do you have a suggestion? I'll take it. Do you like and/or despise this story with a passion? I'd love to hear about it. Think this story is super OOC? Yeah, you probably do. Reviews motivate me to get more chapters out there.

They see me Roland.

They hatin'.

I'll try to do a longer chapter next time. At least 1,000 words. I promise.

Chapter 3

Miracolina

It's that very word that gives it all away. _Forgive_. The gift that she had been able to give Lev before they'd parted. It may have seemed like a simple present, but it had plunged deeper into his emotions as she'd known it would.

Miracolina has no doubts that he was referring to her in the interview. That much is obvious. But she can't help but wonder- _What is his message? _Sure, it could be as simple as reaching out to her. Letting her know that he's alive and well. But Miracolina won't allow herself to believe that. Its a nagging feeling inside of her, that won't leave her alone. She wants to see him.

She wants _him._

It feels good to admit that, even if it's to no one but herself. But she isn't alone, and she has to do something to banish the nagging feeling. So she looks at her father, sitting next to her on the pale couch.

"Dad?" she asks. "If we were to, hypothetically, of course, leave for Channel 8 News Station in Columbus right now, what time would we get there?"

He tosses a glance at the T.V.- at Lev, Miracolina notes- and back at his daughter. then he clears his throat and says, "Is this about what I said before? About you two making a good pair? Sorry, honey, but I don't think he'd be welcome to unexpected visitors."

It takes all of Miracolina's strength not to roll her eyes. Her whole family is staring at her now, so she feels like she owes them an explanation. "Cavenaugh," she finally says. "He used to live at Cavenaugh."

Matteo smiles mischeviously, raising his eyebrows. "So he's like-" Miracolina whips a pillow at him before he can continue.

"It wasn't like that," she says. Matteo doesn't understand her relationship with Lev. If it could even be called that.

"What _was_ it like?" their mom asks softly. Miracolina looks down. She knew she would have to share the story sometime. She supposes now is as good a time as any.

She begins after a deep breath. "It all started once I arrived-"

"Wait," Matteo says, standing up. Miracolina crosses her arms and leans back, waiting to hear his oh-so-important interruption. "Wouldn't you like to finish your story in the car? I'll take you to Channel 8."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Don't forget to review!

And also... Don't hate me for this chapter. It may infuriate you.

Chapter 4

The Ex-Tithes

Lev's interview ends as quickly as it had begun. Fortunately, no further questions were asked regarding his family. So after a short outro, Lev heads backstage to his dressing room where he can think in peace.

What does he think about, you may be asking. Well, my dear reader, I believe that you probably have so much as an uneducated guess based on the promised contents of the story I had disclosed in the summary. If you do have that guess, my friend, I have to say you'd be correct. Great job.

So yes, Lev now thinks about Miracolina, but this time is different. Because rather than the reflecting or fantasizing Lev had often done, he was instead thinking about the present. About where she might be.

The last time he saw her was a month ago, when she'd been tranq'ed outside of the Graveyard. He had trusted one of the Graveyard's guards with Miracolina's life. Lev had told him to take her someplace safe; he never found out whether or not the guard had done as he was told. Lev trusts that God has kept her safe all this time.

Lev wonders where she is now. He hopes she didn't end up at a havest camp; just the thought of it sends shivers up his spine. She used to believe she was property of the world, but now that she has a choice she hopefully hasn't given herself up to it. Instead of filling his head with frightening thoughts like this, Lev likes to dream up a safe, happy location for her. Maybe she was returned to Cavenaugh Mansion, where she can appreciate what they have instead of throwing hairbrushes at staff members in moments of angst. The bittersweet memory brings a smile to Lev's face.

He had talked about her in his interview, if only for a second. What he doesn't know is that Miracolina was listening. That she is safe, with a family that didn't go though with her tithing. And that she's on the road.

Miracolina pauses to anxiously flip through the radio stations, accompanied by Matteo's tapping on the steering wheel. He suddenly reaches over and flicks the music off.

"So you're telling me that he peed in a shampoo bottle?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, were you even listening? So anyway, we rode in the luggage compartment for a few more hours..."

His manager comes in without knocking. Lev stands up. "Great interview, bud," he tells him. "We'll have a limo take you to your hotel, and you can rest there before tomorrow's photo shoot."

Lev sighs, putting his hands in his pockets. What he wants more than anything is to go back to the life on Rez, and the relaxed lifestyle that came with it. But he has no choice. "Yeah, okay."

"And when I woke up, I was safe," Miracolina finishes, just as Matteo pulls into an empty parking spot.

"Hmmmm," he says, looking up at Channel 8 News Station. "And... do you have a plan for reuniting with him right now?"

Miracolina responds by taking off her seatbelt and unlocking the door. "I'll figure something out."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I'm good." She hops out of the car, racing across the parking lot towards the next step in her journey. Suddenly, a limo swerves to the left to narrowly avoid hitting her. The limo honks at her, but she barely manages to yell out an apology before continuing her sprint.

Lev's head gets whipped against the car door as the limo veers to the left. "Ow!" he cries, his eye getting nailed by the door lock. The driver honks at a blur of black hair dashing towards the building.

"You alright back there?" Lev's chauffeur asks. Lev presses his finger to his eye. He's greeted by a slight sting that he knows will eventually bruise.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The news station is crowded. The lobby, that is, because it's all that Miracolina can see. Dozens of people are gathered there, standing around. Some are on cell phones, others tapping their feet or glancing around. All are looking tremendously impatient. She quickly looks around to assess the setting.

What she sees beyond the crowd is a large desk, occupied by two workers. They're each trying to negotiate with angry-looking people. Behind them, two sets of elevators.

Miracolina doesn't waste her time standing around. She sneaks past the mass with mock confidence, trying to look like she knows what she's doing. She passes the desk without getting so much as a glance from the workers.

With a shaking finger she presses the elevator button, and is agknowledged by a barely audible _ding_ from somewhere in the building. To her left she can see a long hallway, filled with the chatter of business. A man carrying a large stack of papers ducks out of his room and into another, but not before catching a glimpse of Miracolina. Her heart begins to race, and she prays the elevator will quite stalling and pick her up.

She's not quite so lucky. After dropping off his papers, the man makes a beeline to her. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Miracolina's confidence doesn't waver for a second. "I came to visit my dad."

"Oh!" he exclaims, his face losing all sense of threat. "You must be Kevin's daughter, Jillian. Head on up, then! Tell him I said hi." He then heads off to continue his job, oblivious to the fact that he's just been lied to.

The elevator decides to make its debut at that moment, and Miracolina gladly steps inside, having no idea of the disappointment awaiting her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Miracolina

She's waiting.

And waiting.

Every second feels like an hour, and her mind just runs in circles to pass the time. _What if he isn't there? What if he _is _there? What will he do? What will _I _do..._ Over and over and over. And she doesn't know how to make it stop.

When she thought about Lev back at home, it was nothing like this. She didn't have an unexplained guilt acquired from thinking those thoughts, as if he were waiting to read her mind and discover... Well, it doesn't matter, does it? Because as far as she knows, Lev can't read minds.

She presses her fingernails into her palms. _Why am I so nervous? Whatever happens, happens. No big deal. Right?_

The elevator decides that must be right, because it opens at that precise moment, swiping away Miracolina's opportunity to further wallow in unnecessary thought. For a second she stands there, frozen, taking in her surroundings.

It's darker than she expected. Aside from the various screens and shining spotlights, the studio carries an unsettling darkness. It's nothing like the lobby; Miracolina suspects it was designed to carry a false joyfulness that only the press could. It makes her wonder what else they're hiding.

The broadcasting room is to her left, she knows that much. It just sits out in the open, blinding her with an over abundance of blue. Theres a long stretch of hallway to her right, with tons of doors on either side. There's about thirty people milling about, taking care of their business. None of them have seemed to notice Miracolina yet, which is just fine.

It's about now that she fully comprehends her lack of a plan. How can she expect to find Lev in a place so complicated? How can she avoid getting caught? She stops herself there, not wanting to go back into a never-ending cycle of questions. The first step, she decides, is getting out of the elevator.

Miracolina begins walking toward the hallway, but she's stopped before she can reach it. A man stands between her and the endless row of doors. He points behind her. "Get back in the elevator."

She raises her eyebrows. "What?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" the man asks bitterly. "You're not welcome here. And your little clapper boy went home already."

_"Excuse me?"_

"Listen, kid! I don't know how you even made it past the lobby, but if you leave now and go join your little fangirl friends, I won't turn you in."

It takes a second for Miracolina to process what she's being told. _Lev already left?_ She silently curses herself for coming too late. She may have just messed up her chances of ever seeing him again. But the second thing he said, about Miracolina's 'fangirl friends'? So Lev's crowd of worshippers didn't end at Cavenaugh Mansion.

The man is still pointing at the elevator, and Miracolina is too dumbfounded to speak. So she slowly turns around and returns to her place in the elevator. She can see the man walking away through the closing doors.

Once inside, Miracolina leans her head back against the cold wall and groans in annoyance. Of course she missed him! What did she expect, anyway? Some kind of dramatic reunion? No way. She should have known it was too good to be true.

The lobby is as crowded as before, but this time she allows herself to look around. Sure enough, fifteen or twenty girls about her age are huddled in the corner, talking and sneaking peeks at the main desk. One of them wears a shirt that says _Live Like Lev._

Miracolina is startled by a sudden spike of anger inside of her. She was never one to get jealous. But still, she can't help but put on a huge, excited smile. The group notices right away.

"Hey," the _Live Like Lev_ girl says. "How'd you get in?"

Miracolina rocks back and forth on her heels, still beaming. "I was invited."

"What? You _know_ Lev?!"

"Of course I do." And then Miracolina strolls off, away from the posse. Sure, she wasn't technically invited, but she wasn't lying about the second part. And the disgusted looks on the girls' faces were definitely worth the fib.

The car is still waiting in the parking lot. Miracolina gets in the car, slamming the door closed. Matteo, startled by the impact, knows enough about her to safely assume that things did not go as planned. But he doesn't turn the car on. He just sits and takes a second to loom at his sister.

"We can go home now," she says, staring forward.

"Is that what you want?"

Miracolina tears her eyes away from the dashboard to meet his glance. "Oh, is that how stuff happens now? Because of what _I_ want? Starting when, ten seconds ago?"

In response, Matteo starts the car, not saying a word.


End file.
